And She Will Be Loved
by serenaxvanderwoodsen
Summary: Brooke falls in love with Lucas again when he tells her he loves her. But things get complicated with Peyton and Brooke decides it's finally time to fight for Lucas. "People that are meant to be, always find their way back in the end.” Brooke says on OTH.
1. Chapter 1

**_Disclaimer: I do not own anything from One Tree Hill._**

Chapter

1

"Hey, Luke." Brooke smiled softly at Lucas as he entered her house.

"Brooke, hi." Lucas smiled, awkwardly at Brooke and put his hands in his pockets.

"What's up? You seem nervous." Brooke laughed. She picked up the latest addition of magazine off her counter and dropped it into a golden wicker basket next to her cream couch.

"Nope." Lucas shook his head and his blue eyes followed Brooke's every move.

"Um, Peyton's not here do you need---

"I didn't come her for Peyton." Lucas interrupted, his voice stronger than he'd intended.

"O-kaay. What can I help you with then?" Brooke asked, confused. She cocked her head to the right and stared at Lucas, anxiously. She had a meeting with Julian about costumes in twenty minutes and didn't want to be late. Plus, she still had to drop Sam off at school and get dressed into the black skirt, white blouse, black blazer combo she'd set out of her bed. As of now she was wearing a gray mini-skirt and purple tank-top, which was not exactly appropriate for a business meeting with Julian.

"I just...wanted to...talk to you, I guess." Lucas replied, lamely.

Brooke fought the urge to roll her eyes. What did he want? Didn't he know she was busy?

"Um, okay. About what?" Brooke sighed and took a seat on the edge of her couch.

"Mind if I sit down?" Lucas asked, hovering next to the couch.

"Sure." Brooke nodded and waited as Lucas sat down. What was wrong? He seemed so...serious.

"I just wanted to talk to you...." Lucas trailed off and looked at the floor.

"You said that." Brooke shrugged.

"I...." Lucas stared into her brown eyes and leaned over to her.

"What?" Brooke asked, softly.

"I love you." Lucas whispered quietly, letting the words hang in the air. He did, he loved her.

"Lucas...." Brooke warned, her heart beating rapidly. Peyton would personally kill her if she knew. She and Lucas were _engaged _they were going to be married.

"I love you." He repeated more firmly.

Then, he surprised her by reaching over and kissing her.

"Lucas....I...I mean, Peyton,...

"Brooke, listen. It was a mistake. Peyton was a mistake." Lucas told her.

Brooke blinked back a tear. She loved him too, so much. She'd tried to avoid it but she did, she loved him. Then, she thought of Peyton. "We can't, Lucas. You know that."

"I don't know that. I love you, Brooke." He continued to repeat himself.

"I love you too but---

"Good, that's all that matters." Lucas protested.

Brooke stared at him. How could he simply say Peyton was a "mistake"? How could he tell her he loved her? After he broke her heart so many times before.

"Look, if you don't love me I---"

"Brooke? You in here?" Brooke heard the door slam shut and heard Peyton's unmistakeable voice.

Brooke gasped and her eyes widened in fear. She jumped off the couch and sprung over to the door.

"Peyton! Hi!"

"Hey. Is someone in here? I thought I heard someone talking." Peyton searched around the corner.

"Um. Yeah. Actually, Lucas is here. Looking for you. He, um, thought you'd be here, I guess." Brooke stammered, hoping Peyton wouldn't jump to any conclusions.

_You're being stupid, why would she think anything. You're just paranoid, _Brooke told herself, angrily.

"Oh. Luke!" Peyton grinned when she saw her fiancee seated on the couch.

"Peyton." Lucas replied, cordially.

Brooke let out a deep sigh and placed a cool hand on her forehead. She couldn't help but feel angry towards Peyton for coming in at that moment. She loved Lucas and knew, in that moment, that she would fight for him. She also thought, in the back of her mind, that she would win.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter

2

"Haley, can we...talk?" Brooke's hands felt slimy and sweaty against her silver iPhone ask she spoke to her friend, Haley James Scott. She wanted desperately to talk about Lucas's confession with someone and Peyton was out for obvious reasons.

"Yeah. Sure, Brooke. What abou---hold a sec, Jamie, come on, go _outside _with the basketball, okay? Thanks.---sorry, Brooke. Okay, so what did you want to talk about?" Haley sighed and asked her.

"Just...something." Brooke sat down on a wooden stool and took a red apple out of her glass bowl.

"Sooooo...talk, I'm all ears." Haley suggested.

Brooke tossed the apple between her two hands and finally placed it down on the counter. "Well, actually, I was hoping to, like, meet up and talk it's kind of...personal." Brooke stood up and adjusted her skirt.

"Oh. Sure. Do you want to meet for lunch? At the Olive Garden? I can be there in ten minutes, if you want." Haley told her.

"That sounds perfect, Haley, thanks." Brooke nodded, though Haley couldn't see her, and smiled.

"Okay, so I'll see you there." Haley said and then Brooke heard the dial tone ringing in her ear.

It had been exactly twenty-six hours since Lucas had told her he loved her, They hadn't spoken since but he'd called three times. Brooke hadn't had the heart or the energy to answer. She worried all too much about Peyton. Though, she had finally decided to fight for Lucas, she couldn't help but not want to hurt Peyton. She just needed an outside opinion, which was wear Haley came in. Brooke sighed again and grabbed her jacket from the closet. She pulled her arms through the sleeves and grabbed her shiny black purse off a nearby stool. She grabbed her car keyes and dashed out of the house.

Brooke slid into her car and turned on the radio. "Okay. I can do this." She told herself. She knew it would be easy to tell Haley once she saw her and everything but right now the idea made her sick to her stomach. What if Haley was angry at Lucas? Or her? Haley might not like the idea of Lucas saying Peyton was "a mistake".

Twenty minutes later, Brooke arrived at the Olive Garden just outside of Tree Hill.

"Hey, Brooke!" Haley greeted her smiling.

"Tutor Girl, what's up?" Brooke embraced her longtime friend in a hug and grinned at her.

"I put my name in so they should seat us any minute." Haley informed her as she fiddled with the beeper in her left hand.

"How're Nathan and Jamie?" Brooke inquired sitting next to Haley on the bench. Her stomach fluttered in nervous anticipation of the conversation to come. Up until recently she had almost assumed Lucas had told Haley. But seeing Haley now it was clear she knew nothing of the incident.

"Oh! They're great. Nathan's just happy to be playing basketball again and Jamie is really excited for him. So, it's really great right now. Plus, Lucas and Peyton are happy so, you know, that's great too. I just can't believe she didn't want the ring he gave her. I mean it was gorgeous." Haley rambled on.

Brooke flushed, slightly. Wishing Haley would stop praising Lucas and Peyton's perfect engagment.

"Oh. Yeah." She nodded, coolly.

"Is something wrong. Brooke?" Haley gave her a quizzical look.

"Um that's---

"Oh hang on, the beepers going off." Haley held up the flashing beeper in her hands and walked over to the hostess.

"Right this way, madame." The frosty blonde said and lead Brooke and Haley over to a secluded black booth.

"Thanks." Brooke flashed her a gorgeous smile as she slid into the booth across from where Haley sat down.

"So, What did you want to talk about? I'm kinda worried about the way you sounded on the phone."

"Okay, Haley. Please, promise me you won't freak out?" Brooke looked at Haley, anxiously.

"Generally, when people say don't freak out the news that the give makes you freak out." Haley laughed. She bit her lip and glanced up at Brooke.

"Okay. I don't fully understand what you just said but here it goes. Lucas came by the other day," Brooke started, fiddling with the cream napkin beside her empty white plate, "he wanted to 'talk'. He was awkward and stuff at first but then...he told me he loved me. Then he kissed me and told me Peyton was a mistake that he didn't love her he loved me. I told---

"Wait, wait, wait. Back up. Lucas told you he _loved _you?" Haley's brown eyes grew wide and her mouth hung open.

"Haley, it was't bad or anything. I think he does love me! Anyway, after he convinced me he didn't love Peyton, I told him I loved him too." Brooke blushed as Haley sat with her mouth hanging open.

"I cannot believe you two!" Haley gasped.

"What are you talking about?" Brooke looked at Haley, angrily.

"I'm just saying, Lucas was stupid to do that. I mean, first he loved you, then Peyton, then Lindsey, then Peyton, now you? It's just crazy. I thought he'd finally made up his mind and now..." Haley closed her eyes for a moment and trailed off.

"I know. I was...thinking the same thing." Brooke confessed. That had been the first thing to cross her mind. She'd known it was stupid to believe him, to trust him again, but she had because she loved him.

"Brooke, don't get me wrong. I mean maybe this time, it's real. But can you really trust him again? After everything that's happened?" Haley sighed.

"I know." Brooke replied, regretfully. Even Haley, Lucas's best friend, was telling her that she shouldn't trust him. It wasn't prudent to trust him again.

"Besides, if you two did get married what would happen to Sam?" Haley asked, opening her menu.

She hadn't even thought about Sam at all. It honestly hadn't seemed to matter much in the grand scheme of things. But Sam was a person to factor into things. What would happen?

"I didn't really think about it." Brooke shrugged.

"Yeah, I didn't really think you would have. But that's really not the point right now. The real question is: do you still love Lucas?" Haley looked into Brooke's eyes, waiting for a response.

"Yes." Brooke nodded, confidently. That, she was sure of.

"Then...I guess you should tell him that. Again." Haley replied.

"But what about Peyton?" Brooke looked to Haley for advice on the topic that she was most concerned about.

"Peyton is...I'm not sure, Brooke. You really have to sort this out with Lucas. Is he going to break up with her? Or does he still love her? I don't know, Brooke. I can't answer for him." Haley responded, carefully.

"Yeah but...should I tell her?" Brooke wanted to know.

"It's up to you. Honestly? I wouldn't. But then again , keeping it from her is...stupid, too." Haley sighed and put her hand on her head.

Nothing made sense at all to Brooke. She bit her lip and took in a deep breath.

"Excuse me for a minute." Brooke stood up and walked into the restroom. Brooke took in another deep breath and removed her cell phone from her purse. She knew what she needed to do.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter

3

Brooke, shakily, dialed her best friends number. Again, she felt herself getting nauseas and clammy. She felt her forehead break out into a cool, thin layer of sweat.

"Oh God." She murmured, looking nervously around the clean Olive Garden bathroom.

"Excuse me? Are you waiting for a stall?" An obnoxious bleached blonde walked into the bathroom, loudly clomping her heels.

"Um, no." Brooke shook her head and calmly exited the bathroom. She walked out the door into the cool, crisp air.

"Hello?" She heard a low voice on the other line say, uncertainly.

"Peyton? It's…um…Brooke." Brooke told her nervously.

"Brooke, hey, how are you? Oh, I had to tell you, I just found the _most amazing _bridesmaids dresses at Bloomingdale's. I know you're the maid-of-honor and all but I think you will want to wear one of these…they're awesome." Peyton giggled into the phone, excitedly.

Brooke gulped as her eyes misted over. She had to do this. Peyton was her _best _friend. She had been since they were eight. She had to know.

"Peyton…I…."

"Hey, Brooke, don't stress the wedding gown, okay? I know you've made two already and that's too much to ask. I could always just buy one." Peyton laughed.

Brooke bit her lip and her stomach dropped. There was no way that Peyton wouldn't hate her for this. Although, Peyton had done the same thing to her years ago. Twice. She'd done this to her twice.

"Peyton, listen, I have to tell you…something. It won't be easy but…I think I have to tell you." She began.

"Okay. I'm listening." Peyton responded, slowly.

"Lucas………I mean, he…..hold on, for one second, Peyton, I'm getting another call." Brooke quickly hit hold and switched to the other line.

"Brooke Davis." She said, coolly.

"Lucas Scott." She heard Lucas chuckle.

"Luke! It's so good to hear from you! I'm at lunch with Haley." Brooke informed him. She felt herself smile broadly, her fears evaporating.

"Wait. With Haley? You didn't tell her, did you?" Lucas asked, anxiously.

"Was I not supposed to?" Brooke wanted to know, worriedly. He hadn't _told _her not to tell anyone.

"Well, I guess it's fine to tell Hales. I probably would've told her anyway." Lucas laughed to himself.

"Luke….I'm about to tell Peyton. I have her one the other line and---

"Brooke, no!" Lucas interrupted, quickly.

"Lucas, I can't just _lie _to her. She's your fiancee and I feel awful." Brooke told him, honestly.

"Okay, right. But it's not like anything…I meant….why?"

"What do you mean _why_? I just told you _why._" Brooke replied, sharply. What was Lucas trying to say anyway?

"I just don't think there's anything to tell." Lucas responded, smoothly.

"Nothing to tell? Lucas you told me you _loved _me!" Brooke broke out, feeling tears streaming down her face. She was at the point where nothing was making sense. Her whole world felt like it was crashing down and she was doing nothing to stop it.

"I know but…Brooke, come on. I just don't want to tell Peyton. It would just hurt her." Lucas persisted.

"So, what? You're just going to marry her and forget about me?" Brooke asked, her voice shaking. She was terrified this was exactly what he would do. Break her heart yet again.

"No! I wouldn't ever forget about you, Brooke. I love you!" He protested.

"Wait. So, you'd marry her? Still?" Brooke demanded, angrily.

"Brooke, don't get angry…it's just complicated!" Lucas tried.

"Wow. I really thought," her voice broke, "I thought you loved me this time."

With that Brooke hit the "end call" button on her phone and began to sob.

"Brooke? Are you there?" She had forgotten Peyton was on the other line.

"Um, yeah, I'm here." Brooke sniffled.

"What's wrong?" Peyton asked, gently.

"Um, nothing." Brooke patted her face with the edge of the cream cashmere sweater she'd worn, drying the tears.

"What were you saying about Lucas?" Peyton inquired.

"Oh! That. It's just that he…was talking to me the other day. About the wedding. He's really happy. I think that he really loves you." Brooke lied. It was useless to tell Peyton the truth at this point. Lucas's feelings had been false. He didn't love her. He never had. All he ever did was break her heart and she couldn't handle it anymore.

"That's all?" Peyton laughed, nervously.

"Yeah." Brooke lied again.

"Well, what about the new that "wasn't going to be easy"?" Peyton asked with an mock ominous tone.

"Oh, yeah. It's just…," Brooke stalled, racking her brain for something, anything to say, "your wedding dress. I don't know if I'll finish in time. I'm so sorry. But, you might want to just buy on, in case. Or at least have your eye on one."

"Brooke, it's fine, okay? I believe in you. I think you'll make it in time." Peyton assured her.

"Thanks, Peyton. I just want your wedding to be perfect. You deserve it." Brooke told her, half-heartedly.

"That's so nice of you, Brooke. Listen, I have to go, okay? But, I love you. Goodbye." Peyton replied.

"'Kay. Bye." Brooke's voice shook and she hung up for the second time.

Finally, she was finished being strong for Peyton and Lucas. She let herself cry. Tears rapidly fell from her eyes and streamed down her face onto her sweater. She cried and cried, her arms were wrapped around her torso, keeping herself warm.

"Brooke? Brooke?" She heard someone frantically calling.

"Brooke! There you are!" Haley soon joined her outside, her hair blowing in the cold breeze.

"Haley, hey." Brooke brushed the tears off her face again and smiled, weakly, at her friend and former roommate.

"Oh, Brooke, what's wrong?" Haley asked, concern all over her face.

"I just," Brooke paused and briefly considered lying. "Lucas just called." Tears began flowing again, tears that she couldn't stop.

"Oh, Brooke. What happened?" Haley prodded, gently.

"I'll tell you later. We should get back inside. I'm starving." Brooke managed another wan smile as she delicately walked back inside the restaurant.

"Alright." Haley agreed, skeptically. Her expression was still filled with concern and doubt.

"Really, Haley, I'm fine. I'll tell you everything later." Brooke promised as she rejoined Haley at their booth.

"Hey, I'm Jessica, your waitress. I took her order earlier but I haven't taken yours. What would you like?" The bubbly brunette waitress asked, addressing Brooke.

"I'll have the Chicken Scampi with a bowl of Tuscan soup and a Garden Salad. I'll have a Coke for my beverage." Brooke smiled politely as she recited her order to the waitress.

"Okay, I'll be right back with your drink and some bread." She gave them a serene smile and walked away.

"So. What happened?" Haley demanded as she sipped her drink, a glass of raspberry lemonade.

"I called Peyton, ready to tell her and then Lucas interrupted the call." Brooke paused as the waitress approached with her drink and the basket of bread.

"Thanks." Brooke grinned and accepted her drink. She reached into the basket and pulled a long, thin piece of delicious bread.

"Anyway, Lucas called. Then what?" Haley persisted.

"Well," Brooke broke off a piece of the bread and plopped it into her mouth, "I told him that I was here with you. He asked if I told and I said yes. He said that was fine, he would've told you anyway. Then, I said that I was uneasy with lying to Peyton and said that I was about to tell her. He told me not to. I asked him why. He said that he didn't want to hurt her. I asked if he still planned on marrying her. He replied that yes he would marry her. I told him that he broke my heart yet again and hung up. Then, I told Peyton that the reason I called was because of her wedding dress."

"Wait. Lucas was still going to marry Peyton?" Haley gasped and blinked in confusion.

"Yeah, I guess." Brooke shrugged, feigning that she could care less. But she was blinking back tears as she said it.

"I'm so sorry, Brooke." Haley's eyes were full of sympathy and compassion.

"No, it's alright I'm fine." Brooke lied. She knew that she would not be fine. She didn't know if she would ever be fine again.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter

4

Brooke exhaled a small, delicate sigh as she sat in her empty clothes store. She reached for the cup of Starbucks hot chocolate that was on her table and sipped from it. Why was everything so messed up right now? Why had Lucas told her he loved her?

"Brooke? ? Hey, where are you?" She heard a cheery, laughing voice burst through the door.

"Peyton?" Brooke looked through all of her costume stuff for _Unkindess of Ravens _to see her friend.

"Yeah, it's me."

"Oh. Hey, there, girlie." Brooke grinned, trying to restore her former cheeriness. She knew she had to bounce back from this. She was Brooke Davis. She was strong, independent and had been managing without Lucas for over five years. She would be fine.

"Okay, so guess what happened? No, you'll never guess cause it's so incredible! Lucas was, like, we need to step up the date on the wedding. I want to marry you as soon as possible. And of course I said sure." Peyton grinned at Brooke, happily, oblivious to Brooke's dismay.

"Hm." Brooke continued sewing a button one of the dresses she was working on for the scene where the Tree Hill cast went to Dan's annual basketball party.

"Aren't you happy?" Peyton leaned over the table to stare at Brooke.

"Fine. I'm just busy." Brooke responded, harsher than she'd intended.

"Okay. Don't mess with . What's up, Brooke? You seem _mad_?" Peyton sat down, finally and grabbed the cupcake Brooke had bought at Starbucks.

"Peyton, that's mine. Can you just give me back what you know is mine? Because it wasn't really fair for you to have taken it in the first place! It was mine and it always has been mine!" Brooke couldn't see anymore with the tears streaming down her face. She knew she wasn't talking about a stupid double chocolate cupcake.

Peyton gasped. The confused look wiped off her face. She dropped the cupcake on the table and stood up.

"I cannot believe you! You hypocrite!" Peyton shouted, glowering at Brooke.

"Excuse me?" Brooke wiped the tears off her face and glanced at Peyton's figure looming over her.

"Don't play stupid with me! Though, you weren't playing stupid when you failed Calculus and then cheated, were you?" Peyton smirked at her.

"I'm not playing anything. I just wanted the cupcake back." Brooke laughed and took a bit of the infamous cupcake. She could feel her hands growing clammy and her heart rate speeding up.

"Fine. Whatever, the saddest part is you can't even _admit _you're mistake." Peyton glared at Brooke one last time before she opened the door to leave.

"Wait! Peyton!" Brooke called.

Peyton spun around, her blonde curls flying with her. "What?"

"I didn't want to…hurt you." She replied, softly.

"What?" Peyton snapped, her eyes raging with anger.

"No. It's just I do love him, Peyton. I do." Brooke confessed, she felt amazingly lifted, revealing this information.

"Seriously? Are you seriously doing this right now?" Peyton asked.

"You know, I never really fought for him, Peyton. He always fought for _me. _The summer of senior year, _he _fought for _me_. But then when you kissed him in the library that messed everything up again. It was the same way when we began dating. Your kiss messed everything up. Do you notice a pattern, Peyton? He _never _fights for you. He fights for _me._" Brooke replied, growing stronger with each passing moment. She knew clearly what she had to do. She had to do something wonderful to win Lucas back.

"Brooke!" Peyton yelled out in angry protest.

"No. Peyton, you've done this to me before and now I'm doing it to you. Do you like it, Peyton? Do you?" Brooke hollered.

"I'm----

"Stop talking and get out!" Brooke yelled at her.

"I----"

"GET OUT!" Brooke glared at her and pounded her fist, loudly on the wooden table in front of her.

Tears in her eyes, Peyton left the premises.

Brooke slumped down into her chair and finished off the cupcake. Maybe she was wrong. Maybe Lucas didn't still love her. She had thought perhaps fear had made him run. But it was foolish to keep dissuading herself from the absolute truth. Nothing was worse than lying to herself about this.

"Hey, Brooke." She heard someone say, softly, apologetically.

"Come in." Brooke sighed.

"Brooke, hey." Haley walked in in a pair of dark jeans and white three quarter length blouse. She wore gold hoops and a pair of blood red heels.

"Tutor Girl! Hey!" Brooke grinned and happily greeted, again feigning joy. She knew that Haley knew the whole story. But she didn't need her to think she'd been wounded and duped so easily by Lucas.

"I wanted to come in and check up on you." Haley replied. She set down two corn muffins on the table and two coffee cups.

"I already had a cupcake and a hot chocolate, but thanks, Hales." Brooke smiled at her effort to make her feel better.

"Sure." Haley nodded and nibbled on her own muffin.

"Haley, really, I'm fine. I think Lucas was just…confused or something….," the room was silent for a moment, "have you talked to him yet?" Brooke looked down at her nails and waited for Haley's response.

"Um, yeah. Just this morning, actually." Haley replied, fidgeting with the top of her coffee cup.

"What did he say?" Brooke prodded, needing to know.

"Just that…he was sorry he let you go." Haley replied, awkwardly.

"Oh." Brooke's gaze fell to the floor and her heart rate slowed. She hated this, this feeling she got when she thought about Lucas abandoning her. It was as if all her dreams were being crushed and he was leaving her with nothing.

"But I have some…bad news." Haley gulped and stared at Brooke.

"Huh?" Brooke looked up into Haley's sad brown eyes.

"They're eloping. Tonight."


End file.
